Program Criteria

An individual applying for the VARP™ credential must be a voting member of any VAPA member association and/or liaison of VAPA, in good standing, and meet at least one of the following criteria:

A. A Bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies from an accredited institution AND one (1) year of substantive paralegal experience; or

B. A Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from an accredited institution AND a certificate from an institutionally accredited paralegal program AND one (1) year of substantive paralegal experience; or

C. A Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from an accredited institution AND three (3) years of substantive paralegal experience; or

D. A Bachelor’s degree in any subject AND a paralegal certificate from any paralegal program not institutionally accredited AND two (2) years of substantive paralegal experience; or

E. An Associate’s degree in paralegal studies AND two (2) years of substantive paralegal experience; or

F. A Certificate from an institutionally accredited paralegal program AND three (3) years of substantive paralegal experience; or

G. An Associate’s degree in any discipline from an accredited institution AND four (4) years of substantive paralegal experience; or

H. A Certificate from a paralegal program not institutionally accredited AND four (4) years of substantive paralegal experience; or

I. Five (5) years of substantive paralegal experience AND six (6) hours of Continuing Legal Education taken within the preceding two years before application for VARP™ registration. At least one (1) of the six (6) hours being in ethics; or